Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen has admitted his frustration at
being played out of position by Andre Villas-Boas, and claimed that the team
would perform better if he were deployed in his favoured centre-half role.

The left-footed Vertonghen was signed from Ajax in July for £9.6 ­million, primarily to play in the centre of defence. However, a long-term injury to Benoît Assou-Ekotto has forced Villas-Boas to play Vertonghen at left-back, where he sometimes plays for Belgium.

Although he has impressed on the left, and sporadically in a holding-midfield role, Vertonghen admitted that he was getting frustrated at the lack of opportunities in his favoured position. “Yes, and the manager knows,” he said. “He knows I prefer centre-back, but that is enough for me. He respects me but tells me whenever I need to play left-back. I want to help the team.”

Vertonghen made his name at Ajax as a cultured centre-back who is comfortable bringing the ball out of defence. With the emergence of Steven Caulker in a similar role, however, he has often been pushed wide. Kyle Naughton, a naturally right-footed player, has also been tried at left-back but his performances so far this season have been mixed.

“I love to attack and I love to go up front,” Vertonghen said. “It is a little more difficult than when you are playing centre-back. If you play the way that I want to play, I think my influence is better as a left-back.

“For the team, it is best that I play as a centre-back. I like to bring the ball out. You need to move the game quickly, and that is one of my qualities as well.”

The return of Assou-Ekotto to training a fortnight ago after more than three months out with a knee injury should allow Vertonghen to slot into the centre alongside Caulker, Michael Dawson or William Gallas.

“It would be good to have Benoît back, but not only for that reason, as he is one of the best left-backs in the league,” said Vertonghen, who will be hoping that newspaper reports of a £5 million bid from Chelsea for the Cameroon international as a replacement for Ashley Cole are wide of the mark.

Tottenham go to Aston Villa on Boxing Day evening wary of the threat from striker Christian Benteke. “I know him quite well from the Belgian league and the national team,” Vertonghen said.

“He is very good in the air and he can score. He will be a very tough player to play against. It doesn’t surprise me that he has done well. The last two or three games for the national team, he was very, very good. Aston Villa made the right choice to sign him.”